OW Course in the Caribbean

[Ron Brandt]

If you learn to dive in cold water, diving in warm water will be really easy. If you learn to dive in warm water, you won't be prepared yet to dive in cold water if you think you will want to do that. You will at least need some additional practice and pointers from someone who is, perhaps arrange something with a local DM. (An argument could be made for learning the basics in easier conditions then moving to cold water later, but I'm not sure how many people do that?)

I used to agree with this...... but if the intentions are to only warm water dive, the lake is not necessary. Just try and keep practised up in a pool from time to time.

I do know people that did get certified in warm water and went on to become instructors in cold water lakes though

Ron

 

[Damselfish]

I used to agree with this...... but if the intentions are to only warm water dive, the lake is not necessary. Just try and keep practised up in a pool from time to time.

I do know people that did get certified in warm water and went on to become instructors in cold water lakes though

Ron

I think we are agreeing?

 

[halocline]

About the "learn in cold water to make it easier to dive in warm water" theory, IMO it's a little backwards. In most skill-learning situations you start with the easy stuff and progress to more difficult. Learning to dive should be no different. My advice would be to head straight for Cozumel; there are MANY good instructors there and the course is no more expensive than the one here in San Antonio, especially when you factor in that the last 2 certification dives are usually on the boat. I have a friend that just got certified in Cozumel; he had a great time, it was basically a private class, and from what I could tell he received just as good a class as I got here.

After you're certified, and have some experience managing the various basic diving skills, you can learn to handle the more demanding lake environments, if you're not too spoiled that is!

 

[mobster75]

About the "learn in cold water to make it easier to dive in warm water" theory, IMO it's a little backwards. In most skill-learning situations you start with the easy stuff and progress to more difficult. Learning to dive should be no different.

I disagree with you on this one mattboy.....

Back in the day when I was getting ready to learn how to drive, I wanted to learn how to on my dad's automatic car (since it'd be easier) and he refused. He said "You need to learn to drive stick from the start, that way you can drive any car in the world." I was not a happy camper, but I learned on a 5-spd Cherokee, grinding my way around, killing the clutch (this was my folks oldest car, so it was a beater), and I *hated* hill starts with a passion. But now 15 years later, I really appreciate that lesson as I *can* drive any car in the world and since I like to travel and rent cars when I go somewhere, I never worry about what I'm going to find car-wise.

I also think driving stick makes you a better driver because you have a better understanding of whats going on w/ the vehicle and you have much better control of the vehicle since you can use the clutch and stick to gear up or down as needed (including to pull some evasive manuevers that you can't do with an auto)

A lot of people I know that learned how to drive on an automatic have never bothered to learn stick because they got into the habit of the auto transmission.

I think the same applies to scuba diving... If a diver lives in a cold diving location (like me, here in New England) and they really want to learn how to dive and get proficient, the only way is by diving as much as possible - which for most means diving locally. Yeah, its a b---h at first getting used to the cold and the extra layers of coverage you need to deal with it, and the viz is around 15'-25' and you think "Why am I doing this?" (at least I did), but then you get used to it and you get comfortable and you start liking it (I swore I never would, but I did). Now I feel when I head down to the Caribbean for a vacation and I go diving, that I'm going to have fewer problems than others who only dive warm because (1) the added viz and warmth will seem like child's play and (2) i probably will have dove a lot more often than the other "coldies" who only dive once or twice a year on vacation..

The only way to be a better diver (I believe) is to dive. Considering we're strapping life support on our backs, wouldn't you want to be as good at it as you can be? Maybe not... Maybe its just a passing hobby or something that doesnt go past novelty status and you're comfortable with just a handful of warm dives a year.. That's up to you..

 

[halocline]

Sure, but why would you start with the more demanding cold water environment? The driving analogy is not a very strong one IMO. First, driving is a much easier skill for most people than scubadiving, it's something that's practiced every day, and driving a stick is no more inherently difficult or dangerous than driving an automatic; it's the same environment, the same car, just one extra task to learn. Still, most professional driving schools would undoubtedly agree that it's probably best for new drivers to learn on an automatic first, then, when they get the initial hang of turning, stopping, etc, then add the skill of working a clutch.

Why put brand new divers in a situation which is MUCH more intimidating and demanding? So that they can "tough it out" and handle anything? It just doesn't make sense. Let them get the basic survival skills first in an easy environment. In fact, this is precisely why most OW courses begin in a pool. Now what makes more sense, to go from the easiest (pool) to the most difficult (cold dark water) or to go from easiest (pool) to more difficult (warm water, good vis) then to most difficult? You seem to think that by learning first in warm water you're somehow preventing yourself from then learning how to dive in cold water. That's simply not true; you just learn those skills when you have enough experience to confidently and easily handle the additional challenge.

 

[Damselfish]

I think it could go back and forth forever which way is best, as in most things it's going to depend some on the person and their situation. Most important thing is for someone to know the reasons they might choose one or the other before deciding, assuming they have the choice. (I know I didn't when I got certified at home, it was more of a spur of the moment "sure why not" thing when some friends were doing it and I never thought about any of these things.)

 

[CAPNVINNY]

I think we all got in to this for the excitment and beauty of it.I know a lot of people who only dive once a year on their vacation in the caribbean,can't say I've ever heard anyone plan their vacation around a dive trip to a low viz inland lake. Learn where you plan to spend your time diving. Its just more practical

 

[Babs-Would-Be-Diver]

I did pool in the UK and OW in the Caribbean. 6 learners plus instructor in pool. 1 learner (me) plus instructor in the Caribbean. I now do intend do dive in the UK but am glad that I got the confidence in good visibility first. I think if I had low vis on my first Ow dives it would have put me off.

 

[Alucard]

I have to agree with most of the posters on here. i did all the classroom and pool work at my local dive school, which also gave me a chance to try out different equipment until I found what works for me. i also played around with weights and learning some bouyancy control basics - they essentially gave me unlimited pool time to play around, and i tried to take advantange of that.

Then I did my OWC dives via referral on Grand Cayman. It didn't feel like an exam at all - the dive instructor took time to point out the fish and the scenary to us and, while sitting on the bottom waiting for the others to go through their skills, I had a chance to look around and just enjoy the view (120'+ vis is a womnderful thing).

Being able to do it in warm water also meant that I could concentrate on my skills without having to worry about being cold, was I wearing the right wetsuit, etc.

Then, once certified, immediately afterwards I could do more boat dives. This let me really practice what I had learned in a beautiful environment and got me utterly hooked on the sport.

I am still in two minds about how much colder water diving I want to do - will be trying one of our local lakes tonight and will see how I do....

 

[scubarealtor]

I just got back from the Boca Chica, Dominican Republic (near Santo Domingo). I did my AOW and my wife did her OW there. AOW is basically read a book then go diving without a whole lot of classroom work so I had no problem. However, she was pretty rushed since the OW has a lot more reading and classroom time.

The price wasn't too bad however. $350 each. That included all books, training, boat trips, full gear rental.

The instructor was very helpful. My wife was having alot of anxiety problems. Especially with the underwater mask removal. If the instructor had not taken as much time working with her until she was comfortable I'm sure she would not have completed the training.

She tried to get certified when I got my OW but she had the same type of problems and that instructor was useless.

I have to agree with the majority opinion here that the country nor the agency matter nearly as much as the instructor.

Viajerochevere